Across the Wall
by Zukra3
Summary: Three years after Tristan Thorn marryed Yvaine the Star, Emily Travene wants an adverture beyond the the village of Wall. Together with her brother and a rather interesting and aggravating new friend, will she find what she seeks?
1. To the Wall

3 years after the marriage of Tristian Thorn and Yviane the Star, the village of Wall was still talking about it

3 years after the marriage of Tristan Thorn and Yviane the Star, the village of Wall was still talking about it. How beautiful everyone was and how the kingdom of Stormhold was just fascinating. But no one crossed the wall again. No one knew way, it was just rumored that, if you crossed the wall, you wouldn't return. And the villagers liked their average, normal, mediocre lives. And they certainty didn't like change. All except one. One who longed for adventure, something that you couldn't find in the village, no matter how many wild and crazy things you did. Once it was over, it was over. Nothing remained except a reputation for being a little bit weird. Which is exactly what Emily Travene had. She wasn't the prettiest girl in the village by far, but she was the one that attracted the most stares. Maybe it was the fact that she refused to wear skirts, reasoning that she would just ruin them all with her hiking and other…things. Or maybe it was the fact that her brown hair, which was long enough to reach her waist once upon a time, could now only barely reach her shoulders. In any case, Emily was not satisfied with Wall. But there was nowhere else to go. Or was there?

She had heard about the wedding, but at that time she had only been 13, and had not been aloud to go. Now she was 16 and she wanted to do what no one else wanted to do. Cross the wall. There wasn't a guard, the last one had quit several days before the royal wedding, but no one really knew what was over the wall. And so, they did as people who live in small towns do when they don't know something, they made story's up. Some of the stories were down right ludicrous, tales with monsters galore and witches and other evil things that attacked you at every opportunity. Emily knew better then to believe those stories but some had a measure of truth in them. Stories about witches and pirates and princes. And most of all, Emily loved the story of how King Tristan found Yvaine, and how he became the king of Stormhold, because Tristan had come from Wall, and had led an ordinary life as a shop boy, before his adventures in Stormhold began. That was what fascinated her along with the thought that _she_ could also do something that amazing, if only she could find a way to cross the wall without interference from the villagers.

Emily found her chance on the day of the summer festival. This was the day that all of the people in the villagers stayed up late and partied through the night. No one would notice if she left then. She would just have to leave a note, grab the things that she wanted to take with her, and go. It was really that simple. She had packed her knife, two more pairs of clothing, provisions for a few days, a few coins, and a sturdy wooden staff. The staff was really only for the village men, because on the day of the summer festival, they all got drunk and would stop any girl who they could catch and demand a kiss. A quick smack with the staff to the head would hopefully stop them, or at least slow them down.

Emily made her way through the quiet streets of Wall, maneuvering through the sprawled out bodies with care. She didn't want to wake anyone up, even though most of them were dead drunk and would probably have the worst hangover of their lives in the morning. At one in the morning, she reached the edge of the field by the wall.


	2. Adventure

_'This is absolutely ridiculous!'_ Emily thought, '_it's just a stonewall with a gap in it. What are the people so afraid of?' _Emily walked through the field toward the wall. She was halfway through the field, when a shout came from behind her.

"Oi! Emily! What do you think your doing?"

Oh crap! Emily started running, trying to out run her brother, Jared. But he was 3 years older then her, and a faster runner. She had almost reached the gap, when Jared grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"What do you think your doing? Do you have a suicide wish or something?!" Jared was mad, really mad.

"I'm going across the Wall, Jared! And you can't stop me!"

"I'm not going to let my baby sister go into danger when she has no idea of what she's facing!" Jared shouted

"And you do? Oh Mister High and Mighty!" Emily replied, "Just because you went to the wedding, doesn't mean you're an expert on Stormhold!"

"Well I know a lot more about it then you, and you are not going across there alone!"

What! Do you want to come with me or something? Because believe me, you aren't!"

"Yes, I am. Do you honestly think you're the only person who has dreamed about crossing the Wall? I am not going with you, you're coming with me." Jared said, with a resolve in his eyes that Emily couldn't really protest.

"Wha…But… Fine." Emily muttered, "Lets just go before anyone else comes."

"Yeah." Jared agreed, and started walking toward the wall to go in first.

"Oh no you don't!" Emily teased, ducking under her brother's arm and stepping through the gap first.

"Hey! You little brat. I was going to do that." Jared said, looking surprised, then glaring playfully at his little sister.

"It doesn't feel much different then home. Are you sure we're in Stormhold Jared?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, we are. Just wait till we get to the Market town! Won't you be surprised." Jared chuckled. "Now come on, we don't want anyone in the village to come around and see us. They'd drag us home by our ears in a minute." He warned, walking toward the trees.

"Lead the way, oh fearless leader." Emily laughed, running to catch up with him. "hey Jared? Are there really two headed elephants? Do they really sell magical flowers and-"

"Shut up and walk, pipsqueak. You'll find out soon enough." Jared said, laughing at Emily's enthusiasm.

They were walking on a forest trail now. Emily chattering all the way about magical this, and magical that, and asking so many questions, that Jared had no time to answer any of them. "Your such a motor mouth Emily! Do you ever shut up?"

"Nope!" Emily cheerfully replied, and kept up asking questions and making observations.

"I swear, you have to be the single most annoying 16 year-old girl in both countries combined!" Jared said good-humouredly.

"Hey! I'll take that as a compliment! Not a lot of people can get you annoyed you know. Your too nice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jared asked, still laughing at his little sister.

"It means that even if the most annoying person talked to you non-stop for an hour, you'd still be just as nice as if they were the least annoying person ever."

"Well I think that's a good thing, because I live with the most annoying person ever." Jared replied, reaching out and tickling Emily. He laughed again when she squealed and pushed his hand away.

"Not funny Jared!" Emily said trying to catch her breath, "you scared the wits out of me!"

Jared just laughed again and put her neck in the crook of his arm. "Come on, the market towns not far ahead."

* * *

**A/N: sorry I'm not updating more... but I just started highschool so my proirities have been shuffled around a little. Well, alot. And I'm also in tech for the school play so I haven't been getting home till 6 o'clock, then dinner and homework, leaving little time to write. which is very irritating, because I still haven't typed up my other storys either, so this isn't the only thing I've neglected. Sorry for babbling about my woe, which isn't really woe, but what ever, I appoligize for not updating.(please reveiw? please?)**


	3. That Man!

The colors, the noise, the smells. All foreign, all new, all fascinating. Emily didn't know which way to look, there was something new attracting her attention every second. Jared was laughing at his sister, her head whipping around and left or right like some curious monkey having a spaz attack.

"Keep your head on little monkey, we need to find a place to stay, then we can look at weird objects" he told her while she was looking at some strange jewelry.

"There was an inn back there, called the Slaughtered Prince." She replied, still looking around, not paying attention.

"Can I trust you to stay put for a minute while I check that out?" Jared asked her, then grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look at him when she didn't reply.

"Yeah, what ever you say Jared" Emily retorted, finally focusing on him.

As soon as Jared was gone, Emily became awed by the market again. That's probably why she didn't see Jared get grabbed by a couple of sailors wearing red as he walked away from her. It's also why she wasn't paying any attention when the crowd shifted and suddenly she was being herded out of the crowd by a different group of sailors wearing green. What finally got her attention was when one of the sailors grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards a waiting wagon with a cover over it.

"Hey! Let me go!" Emily struggled, but it was pointless. All she got for her troubles was a twisted arm. Unlike the weak village boys, these were strong sailors, who spent their lives holding on to and tying ropes, lifting heavy things, and getting into fights. What this bunch of sailors wanted with her she will never know, because as the sailors were trying to hold on to the squirming and screaming Emily, sailors in red stormed into the midst of the green sailors and laid waste to them.

One of the red sailors stood out. While the rest of the sailors were punching at will, he was swift, punching in strategic spots. It seemed as if he was taking away their ability to move, making them collapse. It was sort of fascinatingly scary. The boy-, no, the man struck like a snake, choosing the timing and ferocity of his strikes.

Then Emily noticed another strange thing. Jared was among the red sailors.

Emily tried to fight off the one man still holding her, but he had both her arms behind her back and was holding them high then was un-painful. Then the man collapsed! Emily quickly twisted free, only to be face- to-face with the odd red sailor. She backed up quickly, but was grabbed from behind by another sailor in red.

"Is this your sister Jared?" The odd sailor asked. He was looking at her like she was of no interest to him, but his voice was hinting other wise. It was… hopeful? Emily decided that it was. Strange. Emily then whirled on her brother.

"Jared! Do you know him?" Emily asked, confused. The man holding her arm released it.

"We've met from time to time." Jared said cautiously, like he was breaking trust with some one. "It was actually his idea that I come here tonight. Right Corrin?"

"Yes, though you didn't say that you were bringing your sister along." Emily's head whipped back to the odd sailor- Corrin. He looked like something was bothering him.

"I didn't. She just happened to have the same idea as me. And I couldn't just let her wander around alone." Jared replied, looking at the unconscious sailors in green around them. "You okay Emily?" he asked with concern quite evident in his voice.

"I'm fine. Why didn't you tell me you had gone over the Wall before?" Emily asked Jared. She was getting mad. Imagine, Jared keeping a secret like this from her when he know how much she wanted to go too!

"I didn't actually go over the Wall. Corrin stayed on this side and I stayed on the other. That's all." Jared said, understanding the anger in Emily's voice.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this charming discussion, but it can be resumed on board ship. At the moment though, we really should be going before they wake up." Corrin had walked over to the two siblings, and was now tapping his foot impatiently.

"Right. Got your bag Emily?" Jared looked excited now. Emily was too. A ship? Did that mean that it was a flying ship? Like the one in the 'Tale of Pirates?'

"I am so rea-"

Corrin interrupted again "I'm sorry Jared, but she can't go with us."

"Why not!" Jared asked, amazed at his friend.

"Because she's a girl, that's why! She won't be safe on a ship full of men no matter what I order!" Corrin yelled. The men around him started muttering. It gave Emily an idea, no why was she going home!

Emily smiled sweetly, leaning toward Corrin a bit. "Do you meant that you don't trust your men to follow your orders?" her voice was all innocence. Jared groaned faintly.

"Don't get into an argument with her Corrin, she'll turn anything you say against you." Jared warned his friend. Jared had argued, and lost, a lot when he argued with Emily.

Corrin turned towards Emily slowly, danger flashing in his eyes. "What did you say?" he asked her. "Did you say that I can't control my men?"

Emily's blood ran cold. This man frightened her in ways that nothing ever had. Despite this, she managed to stammer out a quick excuse. "W-well, you said that I wouldn't be safe on your ship, no matter what you ordered."

Corrin glared at her, menace clear in his body. He had turned towards her now and they were almost touching. Plus he was almost a head taller then she was. "I wasn't referring to my men, miss Emily, I was referring to the fact that you know nothing about sea life and would merely get in the way, plus the fact that you could easily get hurt by anything on the ship." His voice was low, dangerous. "My men wouldn't touch you. But you would only be a nuisance.

Emily temper rose. "Are you saying I'm completely useless on a ship?" she demanded angrily.

"Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying. But it seems that I am left with no choice about the matter. I promised your brother I would take him with me, and I don't intend to break my promises." Corrin growled out, obviously displeased with the way things turned out.

"Let's go!" He barked to the rest of the sailors. Jared took Emily's bag from her and pulled her along.

That man! How dare he imply that she was useless! Jared didn't know anything about ships either! It was just because she was a girl, the sexist! Emily hated people thinking that she was weak. It was insulting and she would not take anymore of that mans attitude.

Jared was disappointed. He had thought that maybe, this new development, namely Emily, would blow over fast and that they could have the adventure that they had talked about on the way to the market. But no, Emily had to open her big mouth. He could have found out a way to have Emily come with him without the argument. But it didn't matter now; Emily was coming with him anyway, even if Corrin was mad at her.

Emily was slowly getting over her anger. Corrin probably didn't know much about her. He probably expected some floozy who was completely useless at everything. and she was not useless! She would learn everything there was to know about ships. She'd show him!

That man!


	4. Starcatcher

**Ok, so this took ridiculously long to get on here, and I'm very sorry about that. Life has once again intervened and prevented my writing for a while. **

**So, here goes… review anyone?**

Corrin led the group up to the ship. He had almost been able to tune out the chattering girl out, and was very pleased that he could do that, after all, if he could tune Emily out, and possibly even forget she was there, then the trip would go a lot smoother.

Emily followed Corrin to the ship. She had been asking Jared question after question, trying to find out more about this strange land, what the ship was, where they were, and where they were going. So far, Jared's answers were less than satisfactory, and they left her with more questions. Emily had nearly forgotten about Corrin, except that a glimpse of the back of his head was all the reminder she needed about his slur. If she could forget about him, the trip would be very wonderful.

Jared tried to answer Emily's questions, but with the limited knowledge that he had, along with the stories Corrin had told him, it was growing increasingly difficult to answer them. And he knew that she had about a million new questions for every one that he answered. And her new questions were ones that he couldn't answer. Jared also knew that Emily was angry at Corrin, which was why she was peppering him with questions instead of Corrin. Emily had a reason to be angry though. If there was one thing she hated, it was people saying she was useless because she was a girl. Jared wasn't one hundred percent sure what Corrin was feeling about his bringing Emily, but there was certainty frustration there. Emily was distracting him too much for him to really make certain.

The group rounded a corner on the docks, and there lay the ship. Named '_Starcatcher_', it was massive against the small fishing boats. But this was no fishing boat. This was a lightning catcher, a moderate sized ship by other ships of its kind, but here it dominated the harbor with an intimidating bulk. Emily had an inkling that Corrin might be right after all, this ship was dangerous.

The nets of the ship weren't folded all the way into their sheaths; they were half extended, letting the men climbing on them to clean them, just as if the metal ropes were made of harmless fiber. Emily asked a question before she could stop herself.

"Why aren't the men getting electrocuted?"

Corrin's resolve to ignore Emily was broken when Jared answered with a referral to him.

"Corrin? Could you answer her? I don't know the answer to this one."

Corrin turned and met Jared's eyes. They were pleading with him to answer Emily's question, and laughing at him at the same time. Corrin remembered a story Jared had told him about Emily. Emily had asked him a question that he was unable to answer. The girl had them spent almost the entire day asking everyone the question until she got an answer. Now Corrin was on the receiving end of her persistence.

"The men don't get electrocuted because there isn't enough electricity in the air to shock them. And even if there was, the men are wearing suits made of nonconductive material. So, no electrocution."

Emily thought over his answer, and asked another question.

"What are the nets made of?"

'More questions?' Corrin thought. He answered her though.

"They are made of a strong, but light-weight metal from southern Stronghold."

"Why are the men cleaning them?" Emily asked.

Corrin answered, starting to get annoyed at the non-stop questioning. "Because everything needs to be cleaned once in a while. More specifically though, it's the start of storm season."

"Why"

Then that the lightning will be more pure."

"Oh…" Emily paused. Corrin was hoping that she was done asking him questions.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Hope was gone.

"So that it will fetch a higher price at the market." Corrin was annoyed.

"You can sell lightning?" Emily asked, incredulous, her quarrel with Corrin forgotten on the quest for information about things unknown to her.

Corrin was short and to the point. "Obviously."

"But what can you use it for?" Yet another question. Corrin found an opportunity to shut her up.

"What is lightning?" answer question with question, she will have to answer now.

"Energy. But what…" Emily caught her mistake and blushed slightly. "let me rephrase that-"

"No" Corrin cut her off.

"What?"

"No I will not let you rephrase your question. No more question games. It's time to load the ship." Corrin checked to see if everyone was there. To the crew he said, "you all know what to do", to Jared and Emily he said "Jared, you and your sister can follow me to the poop deck."

This time it was Jared who asked the question. "What are we doing there?"

"You two will watch, and I will go over the list of supplies and see if we have everything we need for this trip." Corrin smiled, as if he had a private joke. "Actually, if you get bored, there is a length of rope that you can untangle and pile up. Might as well be useful." He laughed then, and bounded up the gang plank.

Emily followed up behind him carefully. She had never been on a lightning ship, and not being able to see the sky because of the balloon, was strange. On deck, she craned her neck up to look at it. Upon closer inspection, the balloon seemed not to be made of canvas, but a flexible metal, that was gleaming dully. Emily decided to store the question away for later.

Jared had followed Corrin to the deck too, but wasn't looking at the balloon. He was going through Emily's bag, and found that she had packed the same things that he had, a knife, two pairs of clothing, and some coins(she had lost her staff in the struggle with the sailors in green). Why didn't she pack anything else? Jared hadn't packed much, because he knew that Corrin was getting sea things for him, which was what the coins were for. Jared also remembered that when Corrin had told him the list of things that he was getting for Jared, he had said that he was getting an extra pair of everything, why was that? Did Corrin and Emily meet? Or was Corrin banking on the fact that Emily would find out about their meetings and come with Jared? Jared shook his head. This was getting really complicated for such a simple sounding venture.

Emily stopped looking at the balloon floating above them and glanced at Jared. He had her bag. She reached over and took it from him. "Where should the bags go 'Captain'?" she asked Corrin in a slightly mocking tone.

This was a dilemma. Corrin had no idea where to put a girl. She couldn't stay in the crew's quarter, that was utterly and completely out of the question. At the same time, she couldn't sleep in his cabin either, that would just cause more trouble and be extremely awkward. So unless Jared gave up his cabin… Corrin shot Jared a pleading glance and saw that Jared had been thinking along the same lines.

Jared spoke first, breaking the pause of silent thinking. "Corrin, would it be fine if I gave Emily my cabin and shared with someone else?"

"That would be perfect. You can bunk in my cabin. It's ridiculously large for one person anyway." Corrin replied, grateful that Jared had come up with the same solution. "We can put your bags into the respective cabins later, right now we are finishing loading."


	5. Puzzles and Thoughts

**So, once again, it was a ridiculously long time ago that I last updated. I apologize profusely.**

**I, unfortunately, do not own Stardust.**

Once on deck, Emily had little trouble untangling the length of rope Corrin had mentioned. She hadn't actually wanted to take up Corrin's suggestion, but there was nothing else to do until he showed her to her cabin, was there? And this could be the first step in proving herself useful!

After she was done, Emily glanced over Jared's shoulder. He was sketching the bay, and the seagulls that were flying around. Jared seemed totally absorbed in his work and the scene in front of him. Emily was glad he was drawing again.

He drew in his spare time at home, but he didn't usually have the time to spare. Emily remembered a small book he had written and illustrated quite skillfully for school one year. It was on birds.

He had shown it too her before giving it to the teacher the next day, and she had thought if beautiful. There were sketches on every page, with birds in flight, birds eating, building nests, everything that a bird could do.

The teacher, a farmer who had had a very limited education himself, had said it was fanciful. There were too little facts and too many pictures. He then, promptly and efficiently used the book for fuel for the school stove.

From then on, Jared only showed his drawings to Emily, and pinned them to his wall. Emily looked over his shoulder again. It really was a good depiction. Emily turned back to the rope and piled neatly.

And promptly had nothing left to do!

Turning back to Jared, she spotted her bag lying near him, where she had put it before untangling to rather knotted rope.

The bag was slightly open, which was odd, because she hadn't touched the fastenings since she had closed it last, earlier that morning before going to the wall.

Emily felt an inkling of fear

Did Jared suspect what she had done to get herself here? No he didn't, couldn't know, Emily reassured herself. She latched the bag more tightly.

Corrin was going through his own train of thought, and, annoyingly enough, that little engine kept going back to station Emily, taking on more passengers with every stop. At this rate, the train (if it were real) would be at least a mile long.

He couldn't stop wondering how Emily had picked up on Jared's meeting with him. Or why he was actually happy that she had come, even though he did have to rescue her from Flippsy's men.

Or why they had tried to take her in the first place. The bloke was getting bolder every year.

"I've got to put a stop to that soon." He muttered, reviewing the lists again.

His eyes alighted on the four pairs of sea-faring clothes he had bought for Jared.

_Why did I buy four pairs again? Oh yes, that silly daydream about Jared's oh so wonderful little sister joining us. I guess it's a good thing I humored myself imagining that dream coming true. Because it has._

Going over the list again, Corrin found other things he had so fortunately 'humored' himself with. Like another bunk installed in his cabin, and fitting up the other cabin with more comfortable furnishings.

_What was I thinking? I shouldn't have done any of that (except maybe the better mattress) if I wasn't expecting anyone but Jared._

In fact, Corrin did know exactly what he had been thinking. Jared might have thought it was because Corrin was an only child that he had wanted to hear stories of Jared's siblings. Stories about the rebellious Emily must have amused him terribly.

Corrin had his own reasons though. He hadn't exactly lied when he had told Jared that he was the only Englishman he had ever met, because that was true.

What he hadn't mentioned was that when he had looked over the wall before Corrin had met Jared, and even after their chance meeting, was this.

Corrin had already seen a girl from the village.

She didn't look like a girl though. At least, not what he had expected a village girl to look like. She was wearing breeches and a boy's shirt for goodness sake! She had cut her hair too, very recently at that, because she was still holding the knife, and the long braid.

No, she didn't look like any girl Corrin knew, she was better.

She was Emily, his new friend's sister. No longer a mystery, but still a puzzle that needed solving.


	6. Jared's Insight

**So, I don't update for a while, and then I catch a writing bug and write a couple chapters. How sporadic. Horrible actually. I shouldn't have made you wait so long.**

**I got into Emily and Corrin's head last chapter, so I'll climb aboard Jared's train of thought.  
It's been bothering me for a while now. Every time I type in 'Corrin', spell-check tells me that I spelled something wrong. I just might add his name in the dictionary!**

Jared's POV (Sorry to mix it up, but this part needed to be solely Jared's)

Birds.

I've always been fascinated by them. I'd probably have become a naturalist if Emily hadn't inspired my curiosity about adventures and exploring, discovering things.

Emily.

How did she know what I had packed? A better question, how had she known when to leave. Or did she just figure out that the festival was the ideal time for her to leave.

She's always been like that though. Always figuring out what she wanted before I had even got the thought my head.

Sometimes it gets stupefying how she can read my mind. Like now, she's looking over my shoulder and smiling about something. I've only been drawing a seagull.

Oh, it's because I'm drawing birds. She's probably thinking about that book I wrote and illustrated in school. The one that was consumed by the hot stove of our teacher's wrath.

I wonder why Corrin isn't as mad as I thought he would be. Emily was a surprise. One that I didn't plan for. One that he shouldn't have been able to know about since I, his only link to Emily, didn't know.

So how was he so prepared?

This whole trip was planned by two teen-aged boys who conversed over a wall. It's a wonder this scheme of ours has worked this well. With only a few minor hiccups.

Emily, and Emily's almost kidnapping.

While on this train, one (namely myself) might wonder who those sailors in green were, and why they wanted my sister. I'll ask Corrin.

It's frustrating that I don't know a thing about this place outside of Corrin's stories.

I want to know things for myself, to make my own conclusions and not have to ask questions like a simpleton.

That's Emily's job. Questions are her forte after all. I can't say I didn't warn Corrin about them. Those pestering questions. I told him millions of stories about her-

All those stories. He was prepared because he'd hoped. He'd seen what I didn't at the time. He'd been prepared with the possibility of her coming because of knowing her through the stories.

The late hours I stayed away from home! The notes I had scattered across my desk! The sketches of ships and oceans.

I hadn't been so careful after all. I was careful around my parents, but not Emily. My parents don't look at my desk, and even if they did, would write it off as my being 'fanciful'.

But Emily, she would have read and looked at everything! I've never kept a secret from her before, and I even keep things for her in my desk.

That's why she knew what I was doing. I didn't pay attention to obvious details and they are now being shoved in my face.

But that's the strange thing.

I don't mind. I had imagined Emily coming with me anyway; whatever Corrin said about dangers had floated past my head.

Now all of the warnings are coming back in full force. All the dangers that she will face because of my carelessness and her fierce will for adventure and abnormality.

I've got to protect her.

My sister.

My bird.

**Okay, so this isn't much of a chapter, but Jared needed to have his thoughts and confusions spilled out. And I rather like it in Jared's mind. He's a sweetheart really. He'll take on anything for his sister.**

**Anyway, two chapters (well, one chapter and a side vent) in one night! Feel like telling me what you think of it all Readers? Readers? Are you there?**


	7. Aboard the Starcatcher

The space was sparse. The furnishings; comfortable. Her general feeling; of finally coming home.

A large cabin compared to regular quarters, it had space enough to sit on the floor (if the bed was folded up to the wall) and there was a column of drawers built into the wall.

Emily loved it. It seemed as though this cabin was made just for her, though she knew that it had been built when the ship had been designed.

In a short space of time, the contents of her bag were organized into drawers, and Emily had made a discovery.

The walls were very thin.

The first hint was when she heard a door shut. The second hint, when Emily over heard Corrin and Jared's dialogue while performing their unpacking rituals. All she could catch were snatches, as they shut drawers and made all kinds of noise.

"Do you really…"

"…got extras."

"How did…"

"Better go tell…"

Emily began to suspect that most of the noise was superfluous. No one, especially Jared, ever made that much noise by taking things out of a bag.

Chuckling over their supposed secrecy, Emily didn't notice them standing at the door.

"What's so very funny?"

Emily whirled around to find a smirking Corrin leaning against the door frame with a sheepish Jared standing behind him.

"Nothing much. But what is it you wanted to tell me?" Emily replied smoothly, trying to maintain an intelligent conversation, while taking stock of Corrin's charactoristics.

Black hair, slightly shaggy and falling into eyes a bit. Blue eyes, a light blue though, like the sky after a storm. A straight nose, probably never been broken before, and a mouth made up the rest of his face. The mouth was speaking again.

"Just that the ship is setting sail soon, and that you might want to change into one of these." Corrin said, holding out the two pairs of clothing. "What you've got on is alright for the land, but the wind off the sea will cut through it butter."

Emily took the two steps forward necessary to reach out and take the clothes.

"Thanks, though I could have just put on my jacket."

"Over your pants too?" Jared asked, as he reached around Corrin and added to the pile in her arms. "Here's some boots too. Apparently, I neglected to tell Corrin my shoe size, and he got two pairs of boots in different sizes. These should just about fit you though."

The pointed disbelief in his voice leached out at Corrin.

The man in question grimaced. "I didn't write everything down you know! I don't carry paper and lists around with me all the time." Corrin defended against Jared's inquest.

Emily decided to tell her secret. "But Jared does. That's how I knew. All the lists, pictures, and plans. He never thought to hide it. I wasn't planning to go with him though. That's why I left earlier than he did; at least I thought I did. Guess I was wrong." She shrugged. "When you caught up with me so fast, my plans changed."

"That's true. I never have kept a secret from you before, have I?" Jared was relieved that Emily had made a clear breast of her actions. "I should have just told you. It would have been easier than going through the process of hiding things from you."

Emily chuckled. "That's true, we never have kept secrets"

Jared laughed outright. "That's because you've always found out everything before me."

Corrin looked a bit awkward due to this outburst of sibling affection. "Anyway, Emily, you should get changed, and join us in deck. We'll be waiting for you." With that, he grabbed Jared by the arm and dragged him up the stairs.

The balmy air greeted Corrin and Jared's emergence on deck. "Really Corrin, tell me the truth. How did you know she was coming? And don't avoid the question this time!"

Corrin slumped against the rail of the moving ship, watching the waves pass by. "I didn't know really. It was just a daydream of mine. She shouldn't be here!" The distressed young man leaned over the railing. "I don't want to worry about her. I can't stop. She doesn't know anything, and I don't know how to make her understand how dangerous it is." Corrin lifted his head and smiled weakly at Jared. "I don't suppose we could convince her to stay aboard all the time?"

Jared shook his head. "There is absolutely no way, short of knocking her out and tying her in her cabin, that you can make her stay away from this adventure. We'll just have to make sure she knows everything she can, and protect her as much as we can." Jared leaned on the railing next to the distraught Corrin. "And don't worry so much! She'll be fine. She's a tough girl; even those men that kidnapped her wouldn't have been able to hold her for long I bet." Jared's whimsical smile fell from his face as a more serious expression appeared. "Who were they anyway?"


	8. Family History

**It seems as though I never have time to write any more…**

Jared's question caught Corrin off guard. They had been talking about Emily, a neutral topic at best, and now the difficult question emerged.

Corrin groaned softly, and thumped his head back on the railing. Turning slightly to look at Jared, Corrin started to explain.

"You know how I never wanted to talk about my family with you?"

Jared nodded, recalling Corrin's stormy expression when he had asked about Corrin's family at one meeting.

"The men who tried to kidnap Emily, they work for my brother, half-brother, actually. He is why I don't like coming home very often. See, my father had a thriving company, a fleet of three ships and a trading business on land. It was very successful, because if you can trade with yourself, you can get the best prices on goods."

Jared nodded again, motioning Corrin to move on with his tale.

"When my father died several years ago, my mother was swamped with the business, she had no idea what to do with it, and I was too young to go to sea, or take over. So she married my father's business manager, a man with a son a year older than me."

Corrin's voice grew bitter as he was talking

"This man ruined the business. He was a good manager, yes, but only because my father kept him under strict rules and regulations. When my father died, the man grew slovenly with his practices, turned to drink. I wasn't very surprised, just angry, when he married my mother. When my father was traveling my mother was a terrible flirt. I've always wanted to know why she was unfaithful but never had the chance. She died last year, leaving the land business to her husband."

Jared broke in, "But you own the ships! If she left him the business, why do you own the ships?"

Corrin chuckled. "Because my father, smart old man, left them to me in his will. He left me the ships and estate, and my mother the business. That way my inheritance couldn't be stolen by anyone my mother married after my father's death!"

Jared shuddered, imagining growing up with the mistrust between his parents.

Then he remembered the son. "What about the manager's boy, the one who was older then you?"

Corrin laughed cynically. "Ah yes, now we come to Philip. He made my life a living Hell from the moment he stepped through the door of my home. Anything I had, he had to have something better, and since he didn't have a mother, mine would have to do for him. The neighbor boys and I got to calling him 'Flippsy' as he was always flipping sides, or the circumstances to fit what he wanted. And what he wanted was always what I wanted, except he usually got it, and I was left with the tainted ruins of whatever it was when he was done with it."

Jared frowned. "So why did he take Emily? She had no connection with you when they tried to snatch her."

Corrin snarled his anger clear on his face. "I'm getting to that part! Be patient. You wanted to hear the story; you have to wait for the entire story. Stop trying to skip around!"

Startled by Corrin's outburst, Jared stepped back a foot. Corrin slumped forward onto the railing again, dropping his head into his arms, frustrated.

"I'm sorry," Corrin mumbled "I didn't mean to rage at you, I just get… upset… when I talk about him. He's done his best to ruin everything my father worked for in his life, and everything I've set out to do in mine."

Jared went back to the railing beside the angry young man. "I'm sorry for interrupting; go on with your story."

Corrin looked up at Jared's serious expression. "I suppose I have to." He sighed, stretching his back by pushing on the railing, "After all, he did try to kidnap your sister."

"Word must have gotten around that I was fitting up the cabins for guests. I don't like that solution, because that means someone has been spying on me. I hate that! I had enough of it from Flippsy, and I won't take it anymore!" Corrin's eyes stormed as his emotions boiled to the top.

Grinding his palms into the railing he said, "That's why this voyage is so long. Flippsy can't spy on me unless he has a magical communications device hidden somewhere, and it's not likely. The only magical items aboard are the lightning containers, anything hidden in them would be fried to a crisp."

Jared looked at his friend, astonished. "You have nothing magical aboard? In the land of magic, you have none? That's surprising."

Corrin laughed cynically. "Not really, seeing as magic is just a means of deceiving other people and spying on them. I've had enough of that in my live, I won't have it now."

Jared laughed too, but his laughter was a chortle of glee. "Won't Emily be mad! She probably expected all sorts of magical adventures on this trip. I want to see her face when she finds out we're just going on a business and collection cruise!"

Corrin laughed too, the cynical note almost gone. "She'll get her magical adventures, don't worry. We have to stop on some islands that are chock full with magic. This magic is wild though, humans can't influence it. It's probably why my father kept to his ships, away from cities. No corruption."

"Well, Emily will be happy with that. Anything wild is more appealing then the tame version." Jared laughed again. "And what could be more wild than the sea and lightning?"

"Perhaps an island full of magic and men." Corrin said, laughing along with his friend.


End file.
